On Nov. 2, Muriel Muriel Bowser (D) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) that they have selected developers to move on the next phase of Reservation 13 development.
The property is nearly 496,857 square feet of land area total. Blue Skye Development and Donatelli Development will develop Bundle 1, (Parcels A, B-1, B-2, F-2 and G-2), R13 Community Partners has been selected to develop Bundle 2, including parcels C, E and H.
The properties in question are located between Independence Avenue and the continuence of Massachusetts Avenue, east of St. Coletta School and the new Park Kennedy Apartments.
Bundle 1
The team selected for Bundle 1 will build right next to their previous project. The team built the Park Kennedy Apartments and permanent supportive housing (PSH) on the F1 and G1 parcels.
The ribbon was cut on the Park Kennedy last November, at the same time as a groundbreaking for the second building of the Hill East Phase I development project.
When the second building is completed, two Phase I constructions will offer of 362 residential units. 31 are affordable housing units. 100 are PSH units primarily for formerly unhoused residents. The two buildings also have 25,728 square feet of retail and 156 parking spaces.
Donatelli Development and Blue Skye Development partnered again to offer a winning proposal offering 907 residential units. Units are both for-sale and for-rent.
The project includes a proposed 60,000 square feet of retail, including grocery and 1,068 residential rental units. According to the mayor’s office, this includes 356 deeply affordable units, 356 middle income units, and 356 market rate units. This would consist of 994 rental units and 74 for-sale units, with 25,000 square feet of retail space.
The proposal includes singles and family sized units with one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedrooms available. The proposal also includes a linear park along Independence Avenue SE to honor Robert F. Kennedy.
Bundle 2
R13 Community Partners proposed a Mariott Hotel as a flagship for their proposal, which seeks to make the area a tourist destination.
The team includes Frontier Development & Hospitality Group LLC, BRP Companies, H2 Design Build, Broughton Construction, A. Wash & Associates and U Street Parking. Former Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander was part of the development team that made the presentation.
The proposal includes 1,246 residential units in total, with 407 deeply affordable units, 334 middle income units, 500 market rate units, and 5 units reserved for building superintendents –1,116 rental units and 125 for-sale units.
The hotel would include 150 rooms and about 60,000 square feet of retail space. A triangular park celebrating the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy would be incorporated in the parcel and the hotel will incorporate references to his legacy throughout the interior design. A History and Cultural Walk is also planned to recognize the history of Reservation 13.
The team had received consent from the family of Relisha Rudd to dedicate a central playground with splash park in her name.
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D), who represents residents to the west of the project site, said he looked forward to seeing more details.
“Today is a major step forward for a project that has stretched on for nearly two decades, offering more concrete details of the vision and hope Hill East neighbors have long held for Reservation 13 to extend the neighborhood from 19th Street to the Anacostia River,” Allen said in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to digging more into the details on the selected proposals and how they plan to make good on the promises to the community they’ve made. Thanks to the team at DMPED and to all of our ANC and Ward 6 neighbors who have helped shape this project.”
Residents had pushed for a focus is on affordable housing. The advocacy committee of Capitol Hill Village (CHV), a volunteer-based organization that helps seniors age in place, said they want to see senior affordable housing on the site. On April 24, the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) held a rally on Reservation 13 at which they asked developers to commit to “1/3, 1/3, 1/3”.
The rallying cry called for 3,000 housing units at Reservation 13, with a third allocated to deeply affordable homes (0-30 AMI); a third to 30-60 percent AMI, and a third at market rates.
See all of the presentations here:dmped.dc.gov/publication/hill-east-district-redevelopment-phase-ii-disposition-hearing-presentations
